Entertaining Educational Apparatus and Method of Understating, Appreciating and Assimilating Sustainability Behaviors and Infrastructure Deployment Towards Equitable Global Sustainable Development (EGSD) From the Personal and Community Basis

ABSTRACT

An educational game that allows players to navigate a board and invest in (purchase) spaces that emphasize Sustainable Development Goals to players. Additional actions by the player are dictated by Risk Taking or Global Commons cards after landing on the corresponding space. The game may be played primarily in two game modes: socialist and capitalist. Each mode dictates different ways by which the board is navigated, how proceeds are taxed for each player, how players are treated when they cannot meet financial obligations, and how to determine which player has won the game. While winning is still one goal of the game, the main takeaways from playing the game are rooted in reflection on equitable global sustainable development, the SDGs and how meeting these goals is affected by a socialist or capitalist worldview of global governance and citizens as stakeholders.

The current application claims a priority to the U.S. Provisional Patent application Ser. No. 63/152,990 filed on Feb. 24, 2021.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to board games that use the throw of dice to decide a player's movement on the board and decisions during the game. More specifically, the present invention is an educational board game that aims to teach civics and global governance for sustainable development by simulating functions of the governing authorities (governments) and the governed (citizens)

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The world is constantly growing and innovating towards equitable global sustainable development. As countries seek to better empower people, improve businesses, and build infrastructure, there has been increased emphasis on doing so sustainably, without solving one problem at the expense of creating another. A variety of “Sustainable Development Goals” (SDGs) have arisen that outline a focus area for improvement, such as “life below water,” and outcome targets such as “reducing marine pollution” that determine success in the area and decarbonization to minimize the risk of global warming and climate change. While the SDGs are important and lofty goals, many people tend to ignore the big picture and focus on their own individual economic interests, immediate surroundings, and familiar social cycles. The present invention is a board game that introduces some SDGs and their outcome targets, as well as simulating the role government plays in financial contribution by allowing the game to be played in socialist or capitalist modes. The game is designed to drive home the importance of equitable global sustainable development by helping players internalize different ways to practice sustainable behavior for local to global sustainability, in addition to making players think about how these goals may be met differently based on a socialist or capitalist economy.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is the polygonal main Board for playing the game;

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of how the game is played in socialist mode;

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of how landing on a space is handled in socialist mode;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of how the game is played in capitalist mode;

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of how landing on a space is handled in socialist mode;

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of possible Risk Taking cards: actions to be taken by Players when their game piece lands on the Risk Taking space;

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of possible Global Commons cards: actions to be taken by Players when their game piece lands on the Global Commons space;

DETAIL DESCRIPTIONS OF THE INVENTION

All illustrations of the drawings are for the purpose of describing selected versions of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

The present invention is a multiplayer board game apparatus that comprises a Board, two Dice, Player Symbols, Pursuit Certificates, Risk Taking cards, Global Commons cards, SDG Targets Attainments Symbols, Overall SDG Attainment Symbols, and Sustainers (the game's currency). The game may be played with various rule sets, including a short and long game, and with either a socialist or capitalist approach.

As shown in FIG. 1, the main Board 100 for playing the game is designed in a polygonal shape comprising the game title 101, 40 spaces on the perimeter, and three spaces in the center 110, 111, and 112. The circular center space 110 represents the “Community Purse,” where players will deposit or withdraw Sustainers based on the rules of the game. Rectangular center spaces 111 and 112 represent the respective placement of the Risk Taking and Global Commons card decks. The 40 spaces on the perimeter comprise the spaces in which a Player's Symbol moves around the Board as the Dice are rolled. Each Player begins the game at the “Start” space 120 and collects 500 Sustainers each time the Player passes the space while playing the game. Some spaces may require the Player to perform an action. The Player must draw a Risk Taking card and perform its action after landing on a Risk Taking space 121, and similarly, the Player must draw a Global Commons card and perform its action after landing on a Global Commons space 122. A Player landing directly on Boot Camp space 123 need not perform any action, whereas a player sent to Boot Camp from “Go to Boot Camp” space 124 will need to be released from Boot Camp before continuing around the Board. The game may comprise Service spaces 130, 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, and 137 which represent various services provided to attain sustainable development. Some example Services include “green rail transport,” “zero waste processing company,” and “green utility/data company.” Risk Taking or Global Commons cards may require the player to visit these Service spaces and perform an action, or some actions may be required after landing on the squares with or without a Risk Taking or Global Commons card. Upon ordinarily landing on Service space when they are not owned, the Player may invest to receive a Pursuit Certificate and exercise rights and privileges. The remaining spaces on the Board 150-171 represent different Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) spaces in which the Player may invest to receive a Pursuit Certificate. After landing on an SDG space and paying the requisite amount, the Player obtains a card for that SDG. Each SDG card comprises a title describing the goal and its number, a cost in Sustainers, four Target Attainments with their corresponding cost to upgrade, a fifth “Achievement of SDG” cost as a final upgrade, and corresponding amounts that the owner of the SDG may charge Players that land on the space, based on the number of Targets Attained or full achievement of the SDG. At the end of each Player's turn, if it is not the first round, the Player may invest additional Sustainers for Targets Acquired on any owned SDG and/or Service space.

The game may be played with one of two possible approaches (economic models): socialist and capitalist. These modes mainly diverge in how the Players move around the Board, the amount the Player must contribute to the Community Purse, how long the Player may remain in Boot Camp, how a “Vulnerable Player” is handled who is unable to pay an amount owed, and how the game's winner is selected. FIGS. 2 and 3 describe how to play the game in socialist mode, while FIGS. 4 and 5 describe how to play the game in capitalist mode. First, socialist mode allows time before the game begins for the Players to elect their movement direction around the board: all in the same counterclockwise or clockwise direction, or independently in either direction, to be decided by each player. Ties are broken by the Judge, which is assigned to one of the Players before the game begins. Players may elect the Judge by voting, or if there is a tie, the tie may be broken by whoever receives a higher sum when rolling the two Dice.

On the contrary, Players in capitalist mode may select a direction to move for themselves before starting the game. In socialist mode, when collecting Sustainers from another Player landing on their SDG space, a Player may only take for themselves half the value collected; the other half goes into the Community Purse. The Player's contribution to the Community Purse in socialist mode will be kept in their own separate pile so that contributions to the Community Purse may be counted per Player and withdrawn equally. In capitalist mode, the Player collecting Sustainers from another Player that lands on their SDG space may contribute any percentage of the proceeds to the Community Purse. Because there is no point in capitalist mode where a Player's contribution to the Community Purse is counted, all contributions to the purse in capitalist mode may be stored together in the Community Purse, without noting amounts deposited by each Player.

One extremely important difference between the game modes is how the Vulnerable Player may recover funds needed to pay another Player or the Bank/Community Purse. In socialist mode, there are three possible types of intervention, with each Player able to request each type of intervention one time. These are Bailout from the Community Purse, Wealth Re-distribution, and Wealth Taxation. In the Bailout from the Community Purse, the Vulnerable Player takes 500 Sustainers from the Community Purse, evenly split from the other Players' contributions. Other Players who had their money taken may replenish their piles in the Community Purse up to 200% of the amount taken or 50% of the Sustainers held by the Player, whichever is less.

In Wealth Re-distribution, which only applies if an SDG space was landed on, the Community Purse takes title of the SDG for which the Vulnerable Player could not pay. The Bank then pays the original owner of the SDG the base cost, plus any Sustainers spent on Targets Acquired. The SDG card then remains under the ownership of the Community Purse until another player lands on it; at that point, all Players may vote for or against the Player to be able to invest in the SDG and take ownership. Ties are broken by the Judge. In Wealth Taxation, the Vulnerable Player may simply elect for the richest player to pay their entire amount owed.

In both game modes, a Vulnerable Player who cannot meet their payment obligation is eliminated from the game. At the end of the game in socialist mode, Players count their own amount of Sustainers contributed to the Community Purse, and the winner is the Player that contributed the most. At the end of the game in capitalist mode, Players add up the Sustainers held personally, in addition to the costs of each SDG owned and Targets Acquired, and the winner is the Player with the highest sum.

Possible results of drawing a Risk Taking card are outlined in FIG. 6. Risk Taking cards may result in either a positive or negative outcome for the Player, but the average outcome is generally worse than a Global Commons Card. After a card is drawn and its action performed, the card is placed at the bottom of the card deck.

Possible results of drawing a Global Commons card are outlined in FIG. 7. Global Commons cards may also result in either a positive or negative outcome for the Player, but the average outcome is generally better than a Risk Taking card. The Global Commons cards may also include more impactful outcomes, such as forcing the drawing Player or another Player to surrender a Pursuit Certificate for one of their SDGs to the Bank. Like Risk Taking cards, after a card is used, it is placed at the bottom of the card deck.

Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred physical embodiment, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, including playing the game on digital, electronic, or similar platforms. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A board game that is playable in socialist or capitalist game modes comprising: a game board with a plurality of connected spaces around the exterior of the board, and a plurality of disconnected spaces in the center of the board; two dice; a plurality of certificates representing a player's investment in goal spaces on the game board; a deck of cards with average-to-bad outcomes when drawn by a player; a deck of cards with great-to-bad outcomes when drawn by a player; game currency; a plurality of game pieces representing a player's position on the board; and a plurality of game pieces indicating varying levels of investment in a goal space.
 2. The board game that is playable in socialist or capitalist game modes from claim 1, further comprising: an electronic ledger that lists the round number, bank holdings, community contributions per player, and a player's personal game currency held.
 3. The board game that is playable in socialist or capitalist game modes from claim 1, further comprising: a box bottom; and a box top.
 4. The board game that is playable in socialist or capitalist game modes from claim 3, further comprising: a fitted insert for the box bottom to slide into place to function as a bank, the bottom box containing segmented portions that match the width and number of denominations of the game currency.
 5. The board game that is playable in socialist or capitalist game modes from claim 1, where all objects are represented electronically and procedure through the game is handled electronically, eliminating the requirement for physical pieces.
 6. The board game that is playable in socialist or capitalist game modes from claim 5, where the board game exists as an online service, and Players connect through the internet to play against each other.
 7. The board game that is playable in socialist or capitalist game modes from claim 5, where connection to the board game service is through a blockchain.
 8. A method of playing a game, the method of playing comprising the steps of: providing a board having a plurality of connected spaces around the exterior of the board and a plurality of disconnected spaces in the interior of the board; providing a game piece for each player positioned on a starting space; providing each player with the same amount of starting currency from a bank; and alternating turns between each player, a turn comprising the steps of: rolling two dice to determine spaces to move; moving the player's game piece the corresponding number of spaces; performing an in-game action, if required, at the destination space; and upgrading owned spaces as needed with the player's held currency; where the players choose between a capitalist or a socialist game mode that dictates how individual profits are handled, debts satisfied, and the game's winner selected.
 9. The method of claim 8, wherein players may be sent to a holding space on the board that disallows further movement until the same number is rolled on two dice (doubles) or an amount of currency is paid to the bank.
 10. The method of claim 9, wherein a player in the socialist mode must pay to leave the holding space on the fourth consecutive turn in the holding space, if doubles are not rolled.
 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the winner of the socialist game mode is the player with the most contributions of currency to a communal fund used to bail out players who cannot make payments, and the winner of the capitalist game mode is the player with highest sum of held currency and investment value.
 12. The method of claim 11, wherein half of payment from one player to another in the socialist game mode is contributed to the communal fund, and any amount of payment from one player to another in the capitalist game mode, at the recipient's discretion, is contributed to the communal fund.
 13. The method of claim 12, wherein a player who is unable to meet financial obligations in the socialist game mode is given bail out options comprising: taking currency from the communal fund, evenly split from each other player's contribution; re-distributing wealth by causing the bank to take the property for which the player could not pay and compensate the owner for the cost; and electing for the richest player to pay the entire amount owed.
 14. The method of claim 13, wherein each player who is unable to meet financial obligations may only choose from each bail out option a total of one time per game. 